Method of and apparatus for making building-blocks



A. M. ZOTTOLI. I

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUILDING BLOCKS. -APPLICATION FILED MAR-15.1919.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

, INVENIEII:

d- WWILM J IEI- 7 ATTVS A. M. ZOTTOLI.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING auuoms BLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED MAR-15,1919. 1,374,270, Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

3 S'HEETSSHEET 2.

INvENTuk: awa mma;

Afiys- A. Mx ZO TTOLL' METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING-BUILDING BLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5| 1919.

1,374,270. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTUV: k q MLM UNETE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY M. ZO'B'FTOLI, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Application filed March 15, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ANTHONY M. Zo'r'rom,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Methods of and rip paratus for Making Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to new and useful improvement in method of making flanged bldcks of cementitious or other moldable material and apparatus therefor. The blocks especially intended to be made by my improved method and apparatus are blocks used in building construction having flanges so that when the blocks are assembled in the erection the building, they may be dis posed in such manner as to form hollow spaces in walls. The invention is not limited however to use in the manufacture of blocks for the particular use above mentioned.

25 in the manufacture of such blocks heretof re it has been customary to make the blocks singly by the use of a mold former having on the under side a fin and then piling up the molding-sand around against the outside walls of the former and underneath the same and tamping it down, then withdrawing the former so as to leave a recess in the sand, shaped to the contour of the block to be formed and having a groove in the bottom of the recess produced by the fin to correspond with the shape of the flange which is to be formed on the block. Sometimes it has been attempted to press the fin into the sand the depth of the fin so that it will then be necessary only to bank up the sand around the outside walls of the former temp down and then remove the form.

entitious material is poured in and allowed to so" then the sand is drawn away from i the block so hat the block can be W hen it is constructed in this nd mold is destroyed each time made, and even if the block could ted: o it of the sand mold without entirel destroying the sand mold, still it has to be to some entent smoothed again before it can be used for another block and at the best only block at a time can be made.

Specification of Letters ?atent.

ter the sand mold is thus formed the cem-' Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Serial No. 282,857.

Moreover it is a slow and tedious process to form the sand mold in this way. The object of the present invention is to provide a simple meanswhereby a plurality of blocks in series may be made simultaneously.

The invention. will be fully understoodfrom the following description when taken n connection with the accompanying drawnigs and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

in the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing one form of grooving apparatus for forming the grooves in a bed of sand or other suitable mold material.

F 1g. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus I shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4-. is a front end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one form of block such as the apparatus is intended to make.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the mold frame which is to be employed in connection with the grooved bed after the grooving apparatus has been removed. 1

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the mold frame placed in position upon the grooved Fig. 11 is a view showing a device to be employed in shutting off a part of the mold, so as to eliminate a portion of the block to adapt it to be used as a corner block.

Fig. 12 is a view showing the application of the cut off plate to the mold.

The apparatus is shown as constructed for making a mold for a two flange block and for convenience it will. be so described. It,

is understood, however, that the invention applies to apparatusfor making a block raving any number of flanges desired, the

particular number-of flanges not being essential to the invention and the patent claims are not intended to be limited to apparatus or process of making;- blocks of any particular number of flanges.

Referring now to Figs. 1*? of the drawings, l is the top frame which preferably is of skeleton formation having the side bars a, a'and cross bars Z), 6 suitably tied together to form a rigid frame. The particular form of construction of this frame is not essential and may be varied. Secured to the under side of thisframe are the parallel grooving members 2, 2 which may be in the form of runners orgrooving boards. These are of a depth equal to the depth of the groove which block.

is to be formed and of the same depth as the flanges which are to be formed on the blocks and spaced apart from each other equal to the spacing between the flanges of the These runners may be of any convenient lengthdesired. As shown in the drawings they extend some distance in front of the frame 1 and also in the rear of the frame 1.

Secured to the inner faces of the runners 2, 2 at the forward ends thereof is a metal guard 8 preferably of inverted U- shape in cross section having the vertical side members 0, 0 and horizontal top (Z, the verticalsides c, 0 being secured to the inner faces of the runners and preferably extending also short distance below the bottoms of the runners as shown in Fig. 4. Preferably also this guard 3 extends to some distance forward of the forward ends of the runners. The advance end portion of the guard3 servesas a sort of plow to cut the way through the sand and prevents disturbance of the portion of the sand or center core between the grooves. Preferably also the forward portion 'of each runner 2 which is faced on the inner side by the guard 3 extends down to some greater depth than the portion in the rear of it as indicated by the off set 5 in Fig. 2. This variation in the depth of the runner is made because when a groove is formed by the forward portion of the runner the bottom of the groove is left with loose sand which would leave a rough bottom to the groove and this is smoothed down and compressed by the rear portion of the runner.

As the apparatus is moved through the sand the grooving runners will throw up more or less sand and it is desired to throw this to one side so as to level. off the surface. For this purpose a spreader or deflector is provided on top of the apparatus at the front which in the preferredform consists of a V-shaped element 6, the apex of the V bein the median line of the apparatus as shown in Figs. 1 and-3.

It is also desirable to compress the sand on the surface on each side of the grooves so as to form a flat top surface and to compact the sand. To this end there is provided a compressor member 7 which is pivotally connected to the apparatus in the rear of the body frame 1. This compressor has a flat under face and is formed with slots 8, 8 the side walls of which straddle the runners as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The method shown of connecting the said compressor with the apparatus is by means of screw eyes 9, 9 connected with the front end ofthe compressor which are linked with eyes 10 10 connected with the tops of the runners. This, however, is merely one convenient form'of making the connection and any suitable flexible connecting means between the compressor and either the runners or the frame 1 may be employed. The rear end of the compressor is permitted to sag down below the level of the top of the runners, if necessary as shown in Fig. 2 so as to compress the sand in the rear. In order to give still greater compression it is preferable to provide a weight 1 mounted on top of the compressor as shown'in Fig. 2. This weight may be whatever experience shows is desirable. The compressor may if preferred be made sufficiently heavy in itself without employing additional weight, but I prefer a separable weight so that it can be varied if desired.

Any suitable means may be provided for propelling or dragging the grooving device through the sand. As shown in the drawings there is shown a drafting rope 12 attached to a draft eye 13 at the forward end of the deflector 6 and this may be pulled by hand or by any other power convenient. It is important that the groover should be drawn through the sand by a horizontal pull. In order that the grooving device may have a fair start the sand bed 14 should 17 referably be banked up as shown in 1 so that the groover may enter the rear end wall of the bed.

The sand bed should be of somewhat greater width than the length of the blocks to be formed and the length of the bed should be suilicient to equal that of a series of blocks of any number desired to be made at one operation.

After the sand bed has been grooved a suitable frame is superimposed upon the bed having side walls and end walls which rise above the surface of the bed at least equal to the thickness of the body of the block to be formed and which is provided with transverse partition plates which preferably are separable from the frame and which may be connected therewith at regular intervals apart so as to form compartments each of which is of the size of one of the blocks to be formed. These partition plates are also provided with flange extensions which enter the grooves to form transverse partitions therein. Suitable apparatus for this purpose is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and is as follows: a

The mold frame B has the two side walls 15, 15 and the two end walls 16, 16 the two side walls 15, 15 being spaced apart a sufiicient distance so that the distance between them will be the length of one of the blocks. Transverse partition plates 17 are provided each of which is provided with two downwardly extending flanges 18, 18 which are spaced apart from each other equal to the distance between the two grooves 19, 19 in the sand bed and the width of each flange 18 is equal to the width of one of the grooves. The frame B is placed in position on the sand bed so that the flanges 18, 18 will enter the grooves 19, 19 in the sand bed as shown in Fig. 7 and the lower edge of the body of the partition 17 will rest upon the D other 111 such manner that the partition :plates 26 will fit into the grooves 24:. The Tpartition members 26 are of such height in relation to the depth of the slots 24, that when the partition plates are seated in the bottom of the slots the side bars 25 will project somewhat above the upper faces of the top surface of the sand bed, thus forming a series of compartments between the partitions, each of which with its grooves will form a mold for the cement of which the block is to be formed.

The plastic cement will then be pouredli into the several compartments of the mold, filling the grooves and the spaces between the partitions above the grooves for the requisite depth and the frame will then be allowed to remain in position until the cement partially sets. The frame will then be removed leaving the whole series of blocks on the sand bed and the blocks when fully Preferably the partitions 17 are removable from the frame, the said bars of the frame being slotted to permit the insertion and removal of the partition plates. The separable feature, however, is not essential to the invention.

In the modified form of device shown in Figs. 8 to 12, instead of forming the grooves in a sand bed, a molding frame is formed of any suitable material in such manner that the grooves for molding the flanges are formed in the frame itself. See Fig. 8 in which the grooved member of the frame has two outside parallel members G, D and an intermediate member E, said intermediate -iember being spaced apart from the two side members C, D by the deep grooves 20, 20. These three members C, D and E are each formed with a flat top portion 21 and leg portions 22, the leg portions being spaced apart from each other as shown so as to form a hollow interior, the hollow interior being for the sake of lightness of construction and for the saving of material and also for steam heating if desired. These frame portions may be made of wood. The several members C, D and E may be tied together or assemble-d on a base and secured in their relative positions on the base. In the drawings they are shown as fastened to the base or floor 27 by angle plates 28 which are at tached by screws. By leaving the grooves open at the ends two sets of frames may be set up end to end for the purpose of making a longer molding bed. In such case another frame corresponding to that shown in Fig. 8 would be used, butting the end of one against the end of the other.

The frame members 0, D and E are formed with transverse slots 24: cut in them to receive the partitions of the cooperating member F as shown in Fig. 9. This cooperating or partition member is formed with two side bars 25, 25 and the transverse partition plates 26 spaced apart at the right distance so as to form a series of compartments each equal in size to the size of the block to be formed, This partition member is assembled with the grooved member shown in Fig. 8 by placing one over the bed members C, D and E as will be seen by eference to Fig. 10. The side bars 25, 25 ill straddle outside of the outer members ;G, D of the grooved bed.

Preferably after the parts are assembled,

;'sand 28 should be placed in the bottom of the grooves 20 to a sufficient depth so that set can be removed from th and. the space from the top of the sand to the faces 26 shall be equal to the length of the flanges to be formed on the blocks and the sand should be pressed down tomake a hard smooth surface.

Preferably the side bars 25 are provided with handles 29 so that the frame can readily be handled in assembling or separating it from the grooved member of the mold.

In order to permit a series of the frames. to be assembled for an extension mold and to be kept in proper alinement each side bar 25 is provided with a button 30 near one end which when turned in the position shown in Fig. 9 may lap over onto the contiguous side bar of a cooperating frame.

When the parts are assembled as shown in 10 it is obvious that the cementitious material of which the blocks are to be formed may be poured into the mold, filling the grooves 20 and spreading over the top 120 surfaces 21 for the requisite depth to form the thickness of the head of the blocks as previously described in connection with the Figs. 1-7.

The blocks building are of slightly different form as shown in Fig. 12 in which the head 30 of the block terminates at one end at the outer face of the flange 31. The same mold shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 can be employed in; 130.

used at the corners of the 125,

making this form of block also by simply using in addition thereto an Lshaped plate 32 one arm of which extends down into one of the grooves 20 and the other'arm of which lies over the top edge of one of the side bars 25 and one of the partition plates 26 so as to prevent the cementitious material from flowing into the portion of the mold whichlies above the surface of one of the members C, D. The question as to which of the two members Cor D should be covered will depend upon which side of the moldis to be blocked out. The leg portion of this shut off plate 32 will be formed with slots 33 to allow it to straddle the transverse partition plates 24.

What I claim is:

1. The method of forming flanged bloc {S of cementitious material consisting of moving a grooving member through a bed of mold material to form grooves of a length.

sufficient for a plurality of blocks, superposing upon the bed a frame having partition plates which divide the surface and grooves of the bed into compartments each of a size and shape to form a mold for one of the blocks, then pouring into the several compartments cementitious material in plastic state s'uflicient in amount for the blocks tobe formed, then allowing the cementitious 'material to harden in the mold, then removing the frame.

2. The method of forming flanged blocks of cementitious material consisting of forming grooves in a bed of molding material of greater length than a single block to form a mold for the flangesof the blocs, superposing upon the surface of the bed a frame having walls and transverse partitions, said partitions having flange extensions which engage said grooves in the bed and form transverse partitions therein, said partitions dividing the frame and bed into compartments each of the size of one of the blocks to be formed, pouring into the several compartments cementitious material in a plastic state to fill the grooves and of a depth on the surface of the bed equal to the thickness of the head of the block, allowing the cementitious material to set until it hardens, then removing the frame;

3. The method of forming simultaneously a plurality of flanged blocks of cementitious material consisting of combining with a sand bed a frame in such manner as to form a mold with side and end walls and with longitudinal grooves in the bottom extending lengthwise of the mold and having transverse partitions which extend crosswise ofthe frame between theside walls,

said partitions having flanges which extend down to the sand at the bottomof the groove and form partitions in the grooves, pouring into the mold cementitious material in a plastic state sufficient in quantity to fill the grooves and spread over the surface in each compartment to a depth sufficient ments, allowing the cementitious material to set while the frame is in position, then re moving the frame.

5. The method of forming simultaneously a plurality of flanged blocks of cementitious material consisting of forming in a mold plastic condition into all of said coinpart- V bed 'rooves correspondin with the flanges of the blocks to be formed continued in length suflicicnt for a plurality of blocks, then superposing upon the said'bed frame having end and side walls and transverse partition plates proviced'with flanges which enter the grooves in the bed and form transverse partitions in the grooves, then pouring cementitious material into the mold in sufficient quantity to fill'the grooves and to give a vdepth on top of the bed above the grooves equal to the intended thickness of the body of the blocks to be formed, then allowing the cement to set and then withdrawing the frame and partitions.

(S. The method of forming simultaneously a pluralityof flangedblocks of cementitious material consisting of superposin a frame upon a bed which is formed with grooves corresponding in relative location and width to the flanges on the blocks to be formed, said grooves being continued in length sufficient for a plurality of blocks, said frame having end and side walls and transverse partition'plates provided with flanged pro jections which enter the grooves in the bed and form transverse partitions therein, then pouring the cementitious material. while in a plastic state into the mold formed by the groovesand frame in sufficient quantity to fill the grooves and to give a depth above the grooves equal to the intended thickness of the body of the blocks to be formed, then allowing the cement to set.

7. The method of forming simultaneously a plurality of flanged blocks of cementitious material consisting of forming a plurality of parallel grooves in a sand bed by moving through the bed a device having groove forming flanges and having means for smoothing and compressing the sand as the device is moved through it, then superposing upon the flattened top of the sand bed, a frame having end and side walls which rise above the flat top of the sand bed and fl d which project into said grooves and form transverse partitions therein, then pouring into the rooves and comoartments formed.

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by the partitions and the walls of the frame ccmentitious material to fill the grooves and rise sufiicicntly above the tops of the grooves to a depth equal to the intended thickness of the body of the blocks and allowing the cementitious material to set.

8. The method of forming siinu taneously a plurality of flanged blocks of cementitious material consisting of forming plurality of parallel grooves in a sand. bedby moving through the bed a device having groove forming flanges and having means for smoothing and compressing the sand as the device is moved through it, then superposine upon the flattened top of the sand bed a frame having; end and side walls which rise above the flat top of the sand bed and which have transverse partitions formed with flanged extensions on the under side which project into the said grooves and formtransverse partitions therein, then pouring into the grooves and compartments formed by the partitions and the walls of the frame. cementitious material to fill the grooves and rise sufficientlv above the tops of the grooves to a, depth equal to the intended thickness of the body of the blocks and allowing the nementitious material to set then separating the frame and partitions from-the blocks;

The method of formingblocks of cementitious material consisting of forming a smooth surface on bed of sand, superposingr upon the sand bed a frame divided into a plurality of compartments each having a contour of one of the blocks to be formed and having a bottom open to the sand bed. pouringinto the several compartments the cementitious material while in a plastic condition. allowing; the frame to remain until the cementitious filling; has become sufficieutlv set to retain its form. then removing; the frame.

10. A device for preparinof a sand bed for use in molding); blocks. said device having o roovino members to be moved through the sand bed to form grooves in the sand of a depth equal to the flanges to be formed on the block and having} a drag which. trails over the surface of the sand to smooth and compress the top surface of the sand by its downward pressure.

'11 A. device for preparingsand bed for use in molding flanged blocks consisting of a. surfa cine member to be moved over the surface of the sand to smooth and compress the sand. said surfacing member having connected therewith. grooving: members which as the surfacing member is moved form grooves in the sand of a depth equal to the flanges to he formed on. the block. and a spreader member having portions which diverge from each other in a rearward direo tion to spread the sand as it is thrown out by the grooving members.

12. A device for preparing a sand bed for use in molding blocks said device having groovingmembers to be moved through the sand bed to form grooves in the sand of a depth equal to the flanges to be formed on the block, and having a drag which trails over the surface of the sand to smooth and compress the top surface of the sand by its downward pressure, and a member with which motive power maybe connected to move the said grooving members through the sand and to move the drag member over the surface of the sand.

13. A device for preparing a sand bed for use in molding blocks consisting of a drag having on the under side thereof a plurality of parallel grooving members and a spreader device mounted on the drag in the front part thereof to deflect the sand which is thrown up at the forward end of the drag as it is moved through the sand.

1s. A device for preparing asand bed for use in molding blocks consisting of a drag having on the under side thereof a plurality of parallel grooving members, a spreader device mounted on the drag in the front part thereof to deflect the sand which is thrown up at the forward end of the drag as it i moved through the sand and a compressor loosely connected with the rearpart of the drag; having a' compressor face which trails over the upper surface of the bed.

15. A device for preparing a sand bed for use in molding building blocks consisting of a surfacing member to be moved over the surface of the sand, and a spreader device mounted at the front part of said surfacing member to deflect the sand which is thrown up at the front end. of the surfacing member.

16. A device for preparing a sand bed for use in molding flanged blocks consisting of a surfacing member to be moved over the surface of the sand to smooth and compress the sand. said surfacing member having connected therewith a plurality of parallel grooving members which form grooves in the sand while the surfacing member moves over the surface, said grooving member having secured thereto thin plates which extend in advance of the grooving; members to initially cleave the sand and protect the center sand core between the grooving members.

17 The method of forming blocks of cementitious material consisting of moving through a bed of mold material a member having a contour corresponding with the contour of the under surface of the block to be formed, thereby shaping the surface of the bed to form a mold for the under side of the block, superposing upon the bed thus shaped a frame having partition members which divide the surface of the bed jections into compartments each of the size and shape to form a mold for one of the blocks, then pouring into the several compartments cementitious material in plastic state sufficient in amount for the blocks to be formed, then allowing the cementitious material to become set and then removing the frame.

18. The method of forming simultaneously a plurality of blocks of cementitious material consisting of combining with a sand bed a frame in such manner as to form a mold with side walls and with asand bottom having a contour corresponding to the contour of the bottom of the block to be formed, and having transverse partitions which extend crosswise of the frame between the side walls, andvwhich extend down to the surface of the sand according to the contour of the bottom of the block to be formed, pouring into the mold cementitious material sufficient in quantity to spread over the sur face in each compartment to a depth sufiicient for the thickness of the block, allowing the cementitious material to set'and then removing the frame.

19. The method of preparinga sand bed for use in molding blocks having flange prothereon, consisting of moving through a sand bed a device having grooving members to form grooves in the sand for the molding of the projections on the blocks,

and moving a smoothing and compressing member over the top surface of the sand bed following the grooving action.

20. A method of casting concrete characterized by presenting to an unconfined mass of sand a pattern device having a cavity forming portion and a sustaining portion, moving the device along the unconfined mass of sand to advance the cavity forming portion through the sand to produce an elongated cavity, while the sustaining portion rests on the surface of the unconfined mass of sand adjacent the elongated cavity, placing partition members at intervals in the elongated cavity to divide the same into a plurality of molds, and then pouring plastic concrete in the molds thus formed.

21. A method of casting concrete characterized by presenting to an unconfined mass of sand a pattern device having a cavity forming portion and a sustaining portion, moving the device along the unconfined mass of sand any distance desired, while the sustaining portion'rests on the surface of the unconfined mass of sand and sustains the cavity forming portion at a uniform depth in the sand, and then pouring plastic concrete in the mold thus formed.

22. A method of making sand molds for concrete, characterized by moving a pattern device along and through the sand to form a casting cavity of a length depending on the travel of said device, and then superposing on the sand a frame having partitions for dividing the cavity into a plurality of molds to receive the concrete.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANTHONY M. zoTToLi. 

